Chapter 20

Author's note: So I wrote this while eating a delicious breakfast, so I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed my breakfast! I hope you all are staying safe as well, and I hope my chapters brighten your days in these times of uncertainty.

Inuyasha wanted to cry in embarrassment. They sat in Kaede's hut, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo sitting across from him. Sesshomaru sat behind him, and Kaede sat to the side, facing them all. Inuyasha wasn't even sure what to do or say, or what they would do or say. Kaede explained the situation, omitting some information to save his pride. Not that any of this was peachy and happy news he wanted to tell his pack.

After she finished however, nobody spoke or even really seemed to breathe. Inuyasha dared to glance at his silent pack, expecting looks of pure disgust. Sango seemed to be glaring at Sesshomaru, Miroku was staring at his very pregnant stomach with a look of awe and shock, and Shippo seemed to have stopped breathing in favor of also staring at Inuyasha's very pregnant stomach. Inuyasha opened his mouth but slowly closed it, not even sure what to do. Sango however, seemed to have a few things to say to Sesshomaru, who stared at his pack stoically in waiting.

"We ask you to watch him, and you have him carry your child!" Inuyasha was caught off guard by the outburst, as he was expected to be torn down or have his pride spat out and stomped on the floor. Instead, Sango was pissed at his mate for impregnating him while he was under his watch. Sesshomaru was just as surprised, though merely tilted his head in response. Whether he controlled his anger for Inuyasha's sake or just because he thought the rebuttal was stupid was to be determined.

"It was consensual," Sesshomaru replied blankly, Sango moving to stand up. It took her quite a bit since she was pregnant, though she slapped away Miroku's help, continuing to glare menacingly at the demon lord.

"Consensual or not, he didn't remember anything! Why you… You're no better than Miroku!" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the accusation and Miroku sputtered a response to his wife's blatant disapproval of his previous behavior. Sango put a hand up, stopping her husband from speaking further to redeem himself.

"Then you put him in danger on your wedding day! And you didn't invite us!" Inuyasha gaped like a fish as the second part was aimed at him, feeling as if he was being scolded by a mother. Sango wasn't done yet, though her next yell was cut off by Kaede who raised a hand.

"Sango, though thee feels this way, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have been mated. Thee child will arrive soon, and we have much more to discuss." Sango seemed to calm down just slightly, but glared at Sesshomaru who merely gave her an aloof stare back.

"How did this happen?" Miroku interjected, Inuyasha crossing his arms over his chest. Though he was definitely a male, he felt his chest was enlarging just slightly. The kimono hid it, but he really hoped he didn't lactate, or stayed a female human till after they were done breastfeeding or something. The last thing he needed was for Miroku to find something more to tease him about.

"I was in heat and he was in musk," Inuyasha replied quickly as to cut the conversation off before it could go farther, Shippo's eyes lighting up.

"Oh, is that why you smelled sometimes?" The question itself was innocent, though it messed with Inuyasha's pride just enough for him to grab the fox demon and punch his head. The hit was a lot softer than what he used to deliver, though the fox demon cried out in agony all the same.

"Shut up stupid!" Inuyasha growled, though a part of him relaxed as he realized that his pack wasn't going to reject him. He was surprised mostly by Sango berating his mate, as he expected disgust, not protection on the behalf of his lost virtue from his half brother no less. He grew increasingly happier at the notion that the woman was a demon slayer and the man a monk, as they both knew the traditions of demons. If they didn't this conversation would have veered towards awkward.

Inuyasha let the fox demon go, but instead of running away, the demon touched Inuyasha's stomach. Inuyasha blushed fiercely as the fox demon curled in his lap, seeming mesmerized by the baby bump in front of him.

"It's different from Sango's," he whispered, Inuyasha half tempted to throw the demon off to save some of his pride as a fearsome half demon. The weight of the little demon helped some of the pain he felt however, as his warmth helped his aching, and stretching muscles. Inuyasha was sure the fox was probably wishing it was Kagome's stomach he was pressed up against, though he was glad at least they were accepting his current state.

"What is the problem?" Sango asked, her eyes filled with adoration as they all watched the little fox demon whisper words of adoration to Inuyasha's stomach. He had done the same to Sango, through all of her pregnancies,not that the fox demon would admit it.

"We do not know how thee will deliver," Kaede replied, Sango confused for a second. She looked at Inuyasha though, and realized that he was still very much in fact, a male. The realization dawned on everybody, and Inuyasha once again fought with the idea of being seen as weak.

"If thee delivers during his human time, he will be female, however we are unsure if thee will stay female if the sun rises. And if not, thee is faced with a form of labor never seen before." Miroku looked to Inuyasha, seeming to look him up and down, realizing with Sango that as a male, Inuyasha only had one exit for a baby to fit through. Miroku shifted uneasily.

"What can we do?" Sango asked, Kaede donning a face of consideration. Inuyasha didn't believe there was much anybody could do, since in all essence he would be the sole person to push out his pup.

"Thee will need to be kept under constant supervision. If it is one, which is unlikely, thee will carry full term. If thee carries many, thee will deliver soon. Within the next new moon." That time frame dawned on everybody.

"Will they be fully formed?" Miroku asked, Kaede opening her mouth but interrupted by Sesshomaru.

"Yes. Demons form faster than humans. Inuyasha being half human has just slowed down the process slightly." Shippo whispered for the babies to stay still for a little bit longer, which made Inuyasha smile just slightly. It also made his pup reply with a solid kick that surprised a small noise from the fox demon.

"What do you think?" Sango asked Inuyasha, the half demon caught off guard by the question. He frowned slightly, looking down to his stomach. He wished he could just know, that his babies would talk to him, or that he could hear them inside of him. He couldn't though, and could hardly tell what was going on. He closed his eyes though, searching for his youkai. It had begun to rest a few months back, giving most of its power to his pups. It left him looking like a half demon, but being too weak to show any feats of strength. Shippo moved off his lap, watching the hanyou in awe as he pulsed weakly.

'Can you tell me?'

The connection was so weak as his youkai focused on giving power to his pups, though he could almost feel it stir inside of him. It almost seemed to give a whimper, which echoed out of Inuyasha's own throat. His youkai rested once again, giving all of it's power back to the pups. Inuyasha opened his eyes, feeling too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

"Inuyasha?" The hanyou fell forward but was caught by his mate, sweat beading on his forehead from over exertion. He let Sesshomaru move him so he could lean against his mate, Sesshomaru's youkai reaching out and vainly trying to give the hanyou back some much needed power. Neither noticed the awe filled eyes that watched them in their moment of vulnerability.

"Are they killing him?" Sango asked softly, Kaede shaking her head as she looked at the display of affection. She had never seen this part of Sesshomaru, as the demon was normally very stoic in front of her. However, even the powerful demon lord was just as worried as they were about the increasingly weakening hanyou.

"No, they are draining his power. Thee pups will have more demon energy than Inuyasha himself, so thee demon power is being drained abnormally fast."

"Full demons?" Shippo asked, Kaede nodding as she watched some color return to Inuyasha's face. For being the fearsome half demon she had met in her youth, she was shocked to see him as the weak being before her now. But she did not voice these thoughts, as for now he needed their assistance, not their pity.

"They will not kill him, though it will be a long while before thee recovers thy strength."

"Did his human mother go through the same ordeal? Or is it just for this specific case?" Sango asked, Miroku nodding next to her. Sesshomaru spoke, cutting off whatever Kaede was about to say. Inuyasha wanted to snort, as normally the old hag wasn't one to let herself be talked over.

"His mother was weak during the whole pregnancy. All mothers to half demons are." Everybody let that sink in, Inuyasha finally pulling away from his mate when he felt he had regained some of his strength.

"I just need this to be over," Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his stomach to somehow convey those words to the pups inside of him now. Sango couldn't help but laugh though, rubbing her own stomach.

"I understand that part," she chuckled, Miroku looking down to the evidence of his future offspring. Inuyasha smiled softly as Shippo once again moved to his lap, seeming t try and help by offering up a little bit of his own demonic power. It was nothing compared to his own or Sesshomaru's but the thought counted.

"For now, thee need to rest Inuyasha. We can only wait and see what will happen as your time approaches," Kaede told him, the hanyou nodding as he bit back a yawn. He was always tired now, so the idea of laying down and doing absolutely nothing sounded beautiful. Besides, his ankles were swelling again.

"Do you have any names picked out?" Sango asked as she seemed to forget her previous anger towards Sesshomaru's taking of his virtue, Inuyasha looking to Sesshomaru who raised an eyebrow. They weren't really sure how many they would have, so were unsure of how many names to choose. Inuyasha had given it some thought though, and decided to voice them aloud. Sesshomaru would tell him if whether or not he agreed to them.

"Well if we have two boys, Kazuhiko and Takeo. If it's two girls, I'd think Moriko and Sayuri." Sango cooed at those names, Inuyasha blushing slightly at her openness. Sesshomaru tilted his head, thinking over the names. Inuyasha wondered what he would want to name them, since the hanyou wouldn't take away the right for the father to choose the names. However, he hoped throwing those out there gave the demon some ideas.

They shared baby names and ideas for a while before Inuyasha started to grow tired, the group leading Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to hut they would share in the village. Inuyasha only slightly wished Kimi had stayed, though she had to leave to answer to the many complaints and updates from the villages and to make sure the lands were secure.

Though the demon lords were understanding as to why the wench had been killed during their wedding, that didn't make up for the many who seemed upset it was for a half breed. However, in fear of Sesshomaru's armies they seemed to be quiet for now. Inuyasha wasn't sure if it would always be that way, but he hoped one day he could fight next to his mate.

If his mate didn't constantly leave him pregnant with his pups that is. Inuyasha curled up on the futon next to his mate as he let his thoughts lull him to sleep, though a thought began to eat away at his mind.

Should he tell his pack about his son?

The thought was enough to snap him from his fatigue, which alerted his mate of his distress. Sesshomaru grabbed him and pulled him closer, placing a soft kiss on top of Inuyasha's head. His ears twitched in response, Sesshomaru reaching a hand up and scratching softly behind one. It was more than words could give, calming the hanyou who once again relaxed.

"Sleep for now," Sesshomaru ordered softly, Inuyasha humming softly as he relaxed and melted into the futon. He yawned loudly as he became more comfortable, feeling his awareness waver slightly.

"Thank you," Inuyasha whispered dreamily as Sesshomaru moved to the other ear, though they both knew he wasn't saying thank you for the ear scratches. Sesshomaru kissed his forehead, his lips warm as they lingered for a moment longer. Inuyasha lifted his head, letting their lips have the barest of touches.

It shocked the hanyou awake, but not with nervousness. He pressed a little harder suggestively, feeling Sesshomaru's lips lift just slightly in response. He pulled away and shook his head, the hanyou pouting slightly in response. Sesshomaru kissed him again, but didn't let it delve into the deeper motions of intimacy, once again continuing the blessed ear scratches.

"Rest, after you wake," Sesshomaru whispered, Inuyasha moaning softly in response as he once again was being lulled into a state of fatigue.

"I love you," Sesshomaru whispered, Inuyasha humming softly as he let the sound of his mate's breathing finally pull him into slumber.